Mail device.



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MAIL DEVICE.

, APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1911. 1,01 1,733. Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

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Cuwb U. BROWN COLUMBIA PLANDGRAFH 60., WASHINGTON. D. c.

C. D. BROWN.

MAIL DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 29. 1911.

1,01 1,733. Patented Dec.12,1911.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGI-APH CO.,WASHINOTON, D. C

U. D. BROWN.

MAIL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1911.

1,01 1,733. Patented Dec. 12', 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

OLAUD D. BROWN, 01 ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO HENSLEY T. BALLEW, 0F ANDERSON, INDIANA.

MAIL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 29, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUD D. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to devices for automatically delivering mail bags from a train while in motion and also to devices for automatically delivering mail bags from the side of a railway track to a train while in motion.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved device which is carried by a train from which a mail bag ma be suspended and removed therefrom while the train is in motion by a device situated at one side of the track.

The invention further has for its object to provide an improved device located at the side of a railway track from which a mail bag is adapted to be suspended and which is automatically removed therefrom by a device projecting from the side of a moving train which transfers said mail bag to the train.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, described, and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a view of a portion of the side of a railway car with a device mounted thereon for automatically delivering mail bags to the car while in motion from a device suspended at the side of the track and also showing a device located at the side of the track for suspending a mail bag therefrom and automatically delivering it to a car in motion passing by said device. Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away of the two mail bag transferring devices shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of a portion of the mail bag delivering device which is mounted on the side of a car. Fig. 4 is an end view of a portion of the device located opposite the track for delivering mail bags to a train. Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of a railway car and track with the device mounted on the car for automatically de,-.

livering mail bags to the car or from the same.

In the accompanying drawings 1 indicates a door opening in the side of a railroad car across which extends a rotary rod 2 having its ends 3 mounted in brackets 4 at the sides of the door opening and provided with an arm 5 extending at an angle thereto and curving toward its outer hook shaped end 6 and braced by means of a brace bar 7.

Mounted adjacent to the outer end of the arm 5 and extending through its hook shaped end 6 is a rod 8 having at its outer end a clamp 9 formed with outwardly curved ends 10, said clamp 9 being adapted to receive a chain 11 having a head 12 at its upper end to hold it in place in the clamp 9, the chain 11 being fastened to a mail bag, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Projecting from the rotary rod 2 is an arm 13, to the outer end of which is secured a metallic rod 14 secured at one end to a pin 15 on the arm 13 and having its outer bent end 16 bearing against and adapted to slide upon the arm 5. A rod 17 is secured at one end to the rod 14 and projects through and is slidable in the arm 2, with its end 18 hearing against an arm 20 and a pin 19 on rod 2 projects through a hole in the vertical arm 20 hinged to a bracket 21 secured to the floor of a car. Encircling the rod 17 and located between the rod 2 and the rod 14 is a coil spring 22 secured at one end to the rod 14.

The arm 5 in its normal position projects from the side of the car in a horizontal position, and is held in such position by the arrcp 20 engaging the arms 18 and 19 of the ro 17.

The rotary rod 2 is provided with suitable springs which are adapted to rotate the arm 2 when released from the latch arm 20 so as to throw the arm 5 into a vertical position as shown in Fig. 5. As here shown, a coil spring 23 is located at one end of the arm 2 and a coil spring 24 is connected at its other end and is secured to the side of the door opening as at 24. The rotary rod 2 is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 25 by means of which the parts may be swung to a horizontal position in order to engage the latch 20.

Then a mail bag is suspended by a chain 11 from a suitable device at the side of a railway track and the train carrying the arm 5 approaches such device the arm 5 engages the chain 11 and as the arm 5 is carried forward the chain 11 between the arm 5 and the rod 14 presses back the elastic curved port-ion 16 of the arm 14 until the chain 11 reaches a notch 5 in the arm 5. As the arm 5 advances and the yielding curved portion 16 of the rod 14 is pushed back, the end 18 of the rod 17 is pushed forward, and pushes the latch or arm 20 out of engagement with the pin 19 thereby permitting the latch 20 to drop over on to the floor of the car whereupon the springs 23 and 24 cause the arm 2 to rotate the arm 5 into the vertical position, shown in Fig. 5. The mail bag suspended from a chain 11 and held in the notch 5 will thereby be swung into the car door opening, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

In order to suspend a mail bag at the side of a railway track so as to be engaged by the device just described for delivering the bag into a car and also to receive a mail bag suspended from said device, the following device is provided: Mounted on a suitable pedestal or base 26 opposite a railway track is a post 27' on the upper end of which is swiveled a horizontal beam or arm 28 supported in a suitable socket 29 and pivoted thereto by means of pivot pins 29, said socket 29 having a pivot pin 30 mounted in a socket in the top of the post 27. The beam or arm 28 which has its longer part beyond its pivotal point projecting toward the track is held in horizontal position by means of an arm 31 depending therefrom, having at its lower end a laterally bent end 32 which engages the laterally bent end 33 of a strip 34 secured to the post 27 Mounted on the outer end of the arm 28 is a horizontal bar formed at each end with a curved end 36 and also mounted on the arm 28 in the rear of the bar 35 and spaced therefrom is a transverse bar 37 to a pin 38 at each end of which is secured one end of an elastic metallic arm 39 secured at its outer end to a nut 40 movable on a rod 41, said nut 40 bearing against a coil spring 40. Projecting from the arm 23 is a rod 42, on the outer end of which is mounted transverse arms consisting of a pair of elastic metallic strips 43 centrally secured to the outer end of the rod 42 by means of clamping nuts 44 and 45, the ends of the metallic strips 43 being formed with outwardly curved portions 46.

By means of the construction hereinbefore described, a mail bag may be suspended from either end of the transverse bar formed by the elastic metallic strips 43, said bag being connected by a chain such as the chain 11 hereinbefore described to the transverse arm composed of the elastic strips 43 with the head 12 of the chain located above said strips, as shown in Fig. 2.

As hereinbefore described when a train approaches toward the device at the side of a track and a mail bag is suspended from the transverse arm formed of the elastic strips 43, the arm 5 engages the chain 11 and pushes it out of engagement with the elastic strips 43 and the chain 11 being engaged in the notch 5 the arm 5 is swung into the vertical position shown in Fig. 5 to deliver the mail bag to thecar as hereinbefore described. In case it is desired to deliver a mail bag from the car the bags suspended by the chain 11 and clamp 9 as the train advances toward the device at the side of the track and passes the same, is removed from the clamp 9 by the chain 11 engaging and passing along the inner side of one of the curved ends 36 of the bar 35 and between the latter and inner one of the yielding arms 39 until it reaches the notch 41 when it is held and moved out of the clamp 9, the arm 5 passing above the bar 35 as shown in Fig. 1.

When a mail bag carried by the device projects from the car of a passing train and is caught by one end of the arm 35 and between it and the spring rod 39, a cushioning device is provided, which, as here shown, preferably consists of a rectangular member 47 suspended from and hinged to the arm 35 midway between its ends and connected to the arm 35 by means of springs 48. When the mail bag is caught by the arm 35 and the rod 39 it is swung against the yielding member 47 and the impact thereof causes the arm 28 to be swung to one side in a horizontal plane thereby releasing the arm 31 from the rectangular end 33 of the arm 34 and permitting the arm 28 to tilt downward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Having described the invent-ion, what I claim is 1. In an apparatus of the kind described, a railway car, a rotary rod mounted in the sides of the door opening of said car, and having springs for rotating said rod, an arm extending diagonally in a horizontal plane from said rotary rod with an arm for detachably suspending a mail bag therefrom, a yielding spring armmounted on said rotary rod and bearing against said diagonally extending arm, and a locking latch connected with a yielding arm and released by the engagement of the mail bag there-with.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, a railway car, a rotary rod extending across and mounted on the sides of the door open ing in said car, an arm projecting in a diagonal direction and in a horizontal plane from said rotary rod, and having a horizontal rod with a yielding forked end, a yielding spring arm mounted on said rotary rod and bearing against said diagonal arm, a rod extending from said yielding arm to said rotary rod, and a locking latch engaging said rod and automatically released therefrom by the engagement of said spring arm.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, a vertical post located at the side of a railway track, a horizontal arm swiveled to the top of said post, a transverse arm at the outer end of said horizontal arm and formed with a notch on either side of said horizontal arm, and curved yielding spring arms bearing against the inner side of said transverse arm and extending over a notch therein.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, a vertical post located at the side of a railway track, a horizontal tilting arm swiveled to the top of said post, a projection on said post, an arm depending from said horizontal arm and having a lateral projection detachably engaging said projection on the post, a transverse arm with curved ends at the outer end of said horizontal arm, a second transverse arm on said horizontal arm spaced from said first transverse arm, spring curved arms secured at one end to said second transverse arm and bearing against the first named transverse arm, and spring normally holding said curved arms against said first named transverse arm.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CLAUD D. BROWN. Witnesses:

GOLDEN WAINBOLD, HnNsLEY T. BALLEW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

